Tooth whitening or stain removing components are known to be added to dentifrice compositions such as toothpastes, mouthwashes, and the like. Such compositions include dicalcium phosphates, peroxides, percarbonates and the like such as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,256,402; and 5,824,291.
The employment of surfactants including non-ionic surfactants is known for laundry detergent compositions. Such surfactants are disclosed, for example, in International Publication Nos. WO 92/06160 and WO 95/33034. The use of non-ionic surfactants in laundry detergent compositions is known to improve the effectiveness of such compositions against greasy/oily stains.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,821 discloses an oral hygiene composition to clean and whiten teeth which includes water, gelling agent, anionic surfactant and a mixture of alkaline earth metal hydroxides and carbonates. WO 88/00463 discloses an oral composition for removing and/or preventing plaque and for removing stains which includes an oily compatible surfactant and at least one weight percent of a benzoic acid salt. The composition is also stated to contain a biocide such as chlorhexidine or derivative thereof. An exemplified surfactant is sodium lauryl sulfate and the composition is also stated to contain plasticizers including polyethylene glycol, glycerin and the like. The reference states that the composition may be used in the form of dentifrices, lozenges or chewing gum.
Other chewing gum compositions and the active ingredient for removing stains disclosed therein include WO 99/43294 (chlorite ion); WO 99/27798 (a water-soluble product including sodium bicarbonate and encapsulated aspartame); Chinese Patent Document No. 1196235 (hydrogen peroxide); U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,291 (alkaline metal carbonate peroxyhydrates); WO 98/29088 (cysteine proteinase); WO 98/18339 (bone minerals, calcium triphosphate and/or hydroxyapatite); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,035 (alkaline metal bicarbonates).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,407 discloses a gum composition containing a dental plaque removing agent in the form of glycerol monolaurate. The composition typically includes a high filler content wherein the filler is an inorganic material such as calcium carbonate, talc, sodium bicarbonate dicalcium phosphate and mixtures thereof.
For coated chewing gum compositions, it is known to provide an active agent such as a medicament in the chewing gum coating and optionally in the core such as disclosed in WO 00/35296 and WO 00/35298.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/741,523 filed Dec. 20, 2000 of the Assignee herein covers a chewing gum and confectionery composition containing an anionic and/or non-ionic surfactant (e.g. sodium stearate) which may be present in the core, a coating including a centerfill product.
Delivery systems for the delivery of various components of a chewing gum composition including encapsulation systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,569,852; 4,695,463; 4,981,698; 5,004,595; 5,266,335; and 5,679,389, as well as International Publication Nos. WO 98/23165; WO 00/35295; and WO 00/35298. Encapsulation systems for surfactant containing products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,473,485; 4,597,885; and 5,385,737.
Unlike toothpaste, mouthwash and other dentifrice compositions, gum compositions present unique problems in delivering agents. Chewing gum compositions typically comprise a water-insoluble gum base which provides the bulk to the gum composition but which invariably traps agents having compatibility with the gum base. Adding additional amounts of an agent is problematical because the same can have an adverse effect on the integrity, sensory and/or taste properties of the gum composition.
It would therefore be a significant advance in the art of providing a stain removing agent for the cleaning of dental material including teeth if such stain removing agent could be effectively incorporated into a chewing gum composition and released therefrom during the chewing process in a manner which provides an effective amount of the stain removing agent. The chewing gum composition would then not only provide chewing satisfaction to the user, but would also provide a beneficial dental effect.
Confectionery compositions are well known in the art. Such compositions include, for example, hard boiled candies, nougats, panning goods, gel confections, centerfill confections, fondants, and the like. Unlike chewing gum compositions which often remain in the mouth for several minutes and often quite longer, confectionery compositions tend to have a short life in the mouth because they dissolve relatively quickly upon chewing. Nonetheless, it would be of great benefit to provide confectionery compositions with an effective amount of a stain removing agent to provide such products to render them capable of providing a beneficial dental effect.